How to Connect Multiple PCs to LCD TV

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Valentina
How to Connect Multiple PCs to LCD TV

Hi Everyone,

I have been struggling with my home office for about 3 weeks. I was hoping someone in this great site could help me. I am not technical about how electronics work, but I will try my best to describe my problem.

I currently have 4 hp pcs and 2 hp laptops networked to share 2 printers wirelessly. (One of the pcs is in another room) I have a wireless linksys router to get internet access. Two years ago we purchased a 32" Polaroid HD-Ready flat panel LCD TV/Monitor model: FLM-3201 (which sat in a box until now). We also have a cable box, a D-link media player model DSM-520 and a compact home theater Bose 3.2.1 GS Series II.

We want to be able to display photos, files and browse the internet from any of the computers we have and be able to display it in the 32" TV.  

1.      How can this be done?  

2.      Do I need to hardwire all the computers or can it be done wirelessly?   

3.      Do I need to have a switch to let the TV know which computer to display? 

4.      If I do need to hardwire the TV to a PC in order to view files and websites, can I designate a key in my keyboard to send a signal to display into the TV? (Similar principal to how PCs send a signal to networked printers to print). Does anyone know how to do that? 

This stuff is way over my head. I really don't know what to do; I have contacted Geek Squad, but they seem intimidated by the scope of work needed in my office.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Valen

Matt Whitlock
Alrighty, let's see if we can

Alrighty, let's see if we can scope out some use cases.

If it were just photos and media, you really wouldn't need to hook any of the PCs up technically, but files and internet means a physical PC to TV connection.

My initial thought is to connect the PCs that reside in that room physically to the television. The best way to do that would be to use a KVM (keyboard/video/mouse) switch, which means you connect the KVM monitor connection to the TV, then hook the computers up to that. One is a lot easier than three. You use the switch to flip between computers using a keyboard command.

File browsing the remote computers can be done through the network. If you have everything in shares, one pc can browse the shares of another. However, if you need to get to the desktop of everything to browse all files or use the internet, then you could use remote desktop or VNC. Have you heard of those before.

What are your thoughts thus far? Questions? If I've already lost you let me know and I'll go one step at a time.

Also, if any of you fabulous community members have a different idea or solution, I'm sure Valentina would appreciate all options.

-Matt

Valentina
Hi Matt,

Hi Matt,

You said, “The best way to do that would be to use a KVM (keyboard/video/mouse) switch, which means you connect the KVM monitor connection to the TV, then hook the computers up to that. One is a lot easier than three. You use the switch to flip between computers using a keyboard command."

1. Can you please elaborate more on this? Step-by-step would be very helpful. I understand what you are saying, but I am hesitant about how to execute it.

2. How do I program a keyboard command to do this?

3. Also, do you have any recommendations on the brand or type of KVM switch that I should buy in order to connect 4 PCs?

Thanks Matt!

If anyone else has some good tips regarding this matter, please feel free to share with us!

Matt Whitlock
Sure, I'd be happy to

Sure, I'd be happy to elaborate more on what a KVM does and how you use one.

First, a KVM is like a big electronic switch that connects multiple computers to a single monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Each KVM has its own method of switching between computers, but the majority of them have a hard button on the switch itself as well as a pre-programmed keyboard combination that will switch between the different computers. For example, on my KVM that I use in my home office, I can either hit the button on the switch or press CTRL+SHIFT+ALT, then press a number 1 through four (representing the four inputs), then pressing enter. Seems tough, but it's pretty quick. On my other 2-port KVM, I press scroll, scroll, and then the up or down arrow.

In order to keep PCs happy, the KVMs I've worked with emulate the keyboard and mouse on the PS/2 ports so computers boot up happy and think the peripherals are always present. USB based KVMs probably operate in a similar way, otherwise there'll be a delay between the switch and when your keyboard and mouse work again... though even if not, most PCs pick up keyboards and mice on USB pretty quickly.

I think I've hit questions 1 and 2 above, but now it's just about making a recommendation.

There are plenty of options for 4-port KVMs, but to recommend one, I'd need to know more about your computers. The most important questions, what kind of monitor connections do they all support (VGA or DVI), what OS each runs, and what connections your keyboard and mouse use.

aussiejock
I have a small box that I

I have a small box that I have attached to my monitor that I purchased from Tandy Australia that can control 4 computers to one Monitor, I have 2 computers attached to it,it is only a matter of pressing a button to change from one computer to another. Although I have never tried but I believe it could be used to connect the Samsung 40" Tele to, by just unplugging the Monitor and connecting the Tele to it, the Newer Tele's are just big Monitors and have a menu to say what U have attached to it.The Box is called an Auto 4 Port KVM Switch, I believe they will be widely available in all Countries. Please let me know if anyone has connected their Tele's this way as I have not done it yet.

 

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